Alex Prybutok

Biography

Alex Prybutok’s passion for engineering biology, improving engineering education spaces, and teaching has guided her work throughout her academic career. Given her long-term passion for teaching, she began assisting teachers by volunteering at science summer camps in 2006, contributing over 500 hours of volunteer service from 2006-2011. Subsequently, she became a Camp Counselor each summer from 2012-2019, developing and teaching camps for elementary and middle school students. In 2016, she earned bachelor’s degrees in both Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, where she conducted experimental research in antibody engineering, and survey and analysis-based research in student engineering identity formation. After graduating, she joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University, where in 2022 she earned her doctorate in Chemical Engineering working on projects in both computational biology and engineering education through research and service. Specifically, her thesis focused on developing agent-based models of cell-based therapies in solid tumors and integrating social justice and anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ARDEI) context into chemical engineering courses.

While at Northwestern, Alex participated in an array of teaching-focused activities, such as leading both department- and college-level Teaching Committees, co-instructing an undergraduate course, and completing and later mentoring participants in the Teaching Certificate Program at the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching. Additionally, she was a co-founding member of the ChBE ARDEI Committee, where she collaborated on a variety of initiatives with undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, staff, and faculty. Alex has since brought her passion for engineering education, teaching, and ARDEI to the Department of Chemical Engineering at University of Washington, where her focus is teaching undergraduate courses, advising and supporting students, updating and managing the Unit Operations Laboratory, and continuing to enhance equity in engineering education. While at UW, she has continued her passion for outreach by serving as the Women in Chemical Engineering (WChE) faculty advisor and serving on the Board of Directors of STEM Pals. Her service and engineering education research is often focused on creating resources for faculty to make their teaching more equitable, accessible, and focused on integrating social justice concepts into engineering curriculum. For access to these resources, please see her website linked above.

Education

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2022
• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2016
• B.S. in Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, 2016

Select publications

1. J.L. Cole*, C. Barr, J. Clark, & A.N. Prybutok*. (June, 2025). Assessing accessibility and challenging ableism in Unit Operations Laboratories. Chemical Engineering Division, 132nd ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. Montreal, Canada. *co-corresponding authorship, co-first authorship. Chemical Engineering Division 2026 Joseph J. Martin Award & 2025 Best DEI Paper Award Finalist.
2. A.N. Prybutok, A. Abegunde*, K.M. Sanroman Gutierrez*, L. Simitz*, C. Archuleta, & J. Cole. (2024). Creating and Implementing Course Content Contextualized with Anti-Racism and Social Justice in Chemical Engineering: How Faculty and Students Engaged in the Process. Chemical Engineering Education. *co-second authorship. https://doi.org/10.18260/2-1-370.660-70857
3. E.R. Crum*, K.L. Bennett*, S. Adler, D.S. Bergsman, N. Minkoff†, & A.N. Prybutok†. (June, 2024). To Record or Not to Record? Collaborating through Conflict. Chemical Engineering Division, 131st ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. Portland, OR. *co-first authorship, †co-corresponding authorship. Chemical Engineering Division 2025 Joseph J. Martin Award & 2024 Professional Interest Council (PIC) I Best Paper Award. https://peer.asee.org/48159
4. K. Chintam*, A.N. Prybutok*, W. Brenneis, J.M. Chan, J.D. Green, R. Li, M. Olsen, S.L. Ramesh, C.E. Ramirez, D.R. Vemulapalli, & J. Cole. (June, 2023). Designing and Implementing a Workshop on the Intersection between Social Justice and Engineering. Chemical Engineering Division, 130th ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. Baltimore, MA. *co-first authorship. 2023 Best DEI Paper Award. https://peer.asee.org/42969
5. K. Chintam, A.N. Prybutok, C.M. Archuleta, A.E. Deberghes, B. DiBiase, R. Li, J. Richards, L. Seitz, & J. Cole. (June, 2023). Designing, Codifying, and Implementing Social Justice Content in a Required Course on Engineering and Research Skills for First-Year Graduate Students. Equity Division, 130th ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. Baltimore, MA. https://peer.asee.org/43005
6. A.N. Prybutok, J.S. Yu, J.N. Leonard*, N. Bagheri* (2022). Mapping CAR T-cell design space using agent-based models. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, 9(849363). *co-corresponding authorship. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2022.849363
7. A.N. Prybutok†, J.Y. Cain†, J.N. Leonard*, N. Bagheri* (2022). Fighting fire with fire: deploying complexity in computational modeling to effectively characterize complex biological systems. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 75(102704). †co-first authorship, *co-corresponding authorship. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102704
8. A.D. Patrick, A.N. Prybutok, and M. Borrego. (2018). Predicting persistence in engineering through an engineering identity scale. International Journal of Engineering Education, 34 (2(A)), 351–363. doi: 10.15781/T2ZC7SB9J. https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10066205
9. A. Prybutok, A.D. Patrick, M.J. Borrego, C.C. Seepersad, & M.J. Kiristis. (June, 2016). Cross-sectional Survey Study of Undergraduate Engineering Identity. Engineering Research and Methods Division, 123rd ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. New Orleans, LA. https://peer.asee.org/26610

Honors & awards

• 2026 Joseph J. Martin Award, Chemical Engineering Division, 132nd ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education (2025)
• HUB Registered Student Organization (RSO) Advisor of the Year Award, University of Washington (2025)
• 2025 Joseph J. Martin Award, Chemical Engineering Division, 131st ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education (2024)
• 2024 Professional Interest Council (PIC) I Best Paper Award, 131st ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education (2024)
• Faculty Appreciation for Career Education and Training (FACET) Award, Career Center @ Engineering, University of Washington (2024)
• 2023 Best DEI Paper Award, 130th ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education (2023)
• Distinguished Graduate Service Award, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University (2022)
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2016)

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